How Did We Get Here?
by cl-roxy
Summary: Set after 3x07 - Shelby Corcoran and Noah Puckerman reflect on the choices they've made that have landed them in the mess they're in. How can they make things right? Or more importantly, what is right?
1. How Did We Get Here?: Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my first time writing ANY kind of fanfiction for anything, and first time writing a story since Freshman year of high school. But I've been so invested in Shuck I just couldn't help myself; I just had to try :) So please review if possible! I could really use constructive criticism as a beginner writer and would REALLY appreciate it! **

**And for all those Shuck shippers out there, let this be our way to stay strong until RIB gives us what NEEDS to happen by the end of the season 3! 3**

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><p><em>(Set shortly after 3x07)<em>

Shelby Corcoran walked down the hallway of McKinley High School this morning with a weight on her shoulders she just couldn't shake off. "_How did I fuck up so badly_?"she thought to herself. There was no denying her attraction to Noah Puckerman. What started off as a mutual love for Beth, very effortlessly evolved into a mutual love for each other.

No, Shelby wasn't in love with Noah. Despite being a hopeless romantic, there was no way she could have fallen in love with him after the few play dates with Beth and the random encounters at McKinley. But there was no denying how much and how quickly she came to care about him. He was just so amazing with Beth. The clown pig, the little games, the way he learned so quickly how to tuck his little girl to bed.

But what touched her personally was what a pillar he could be; how tough and how committed he was to being a strong, reliable figure for Beth and for her to lean on. Or his brash, boyish humour - while absolutely ridiculous at times, it was able to put a smile on her face like no other. And of course, there was no denying the pure unadultered attraction she had for him – silly floppy Mohawk and all.

But as vulnerable, upset, an absolute mess that she was, she shouldn't have slept with the kid. _Kid..._ God, it felt so wrong to even call him that, now that he's seen and touched every part of her. And what a sensational touch he had. Maybe it was because she hadn't been with someone since before the night she made out with Will Shuester (_God, had it really been that long_?_)_, but every touch and kiss from Noah was so full of intent, so full of desire. She had forgotten what it felt like to be wanted – and it felt good.

"_I did a good job,"_ Shelby smiled as she remembered Noah stating it so matter-of-factly with the dopey smile of his (and of Beth's). All she wanted to do was to lie there with him; take him up on rounds 2, 3 and 4, give into that kiss when he leaned in...but she couldn't. No, she had to be the responsible one, for Beth's sake, for her sake, for his. No matter how much she needed to be comforted by someone she cared for, what she did was wrong.

Shelby knew that her job now at McKinley was hanging on a thread. Her actions could jeopardize her ability to provide for Beth and she's been sleeping with this guilt ever since. Beth was the most important thing in her life, and there was no way in hell Shelby was going to let her daughter down.

Or the guilt of hurting Noah – God, that weight was pulling on her too. Sure, he had the reputation of sleeping around with older women like it was his go-to Saturday afternoon hobby. And she was certain he had jumped the gun when he professed his love to her that day. But if he cared about her any bit as much as she did about him, she was pretty certain his feelings were hurt. The anger he had as Shelby told him to leave that day – she knew it was a mask for that. She never wanted to hurt him.

No, all she could do at this point was damage control. Keep Puckerman as far away from her as possible. Keep the New Directions/Troubletones collaborations to a minimum so she didn't have to stand there in front of him in the choir room. Or in front of Quinn, who Shelby couldn't help but notice what looked to be death stares from Quinn to her the last time she was with New Directions in rehearsal. Shelby just had this nagging feeling that Quinn would find out and that her whole world would come crashing down on her.

"_How did I fuck up so badly_?" The voice in her head kept going.

Shelby made it to her classroom, thankfully without bumping into any of the New Directions kids, and began scanning through the files left by the regular teacher when it hit her: _fuck, fourth period Geometry_. Why did she cover for this teacher again? "What am I going to do?" she muttered under her breath as she covered her face with her hands. Shelby began imagining all the possible scenarios: either he would storm out at the beginning of class, purposely act out to get to her, or ignore her altogether.

Quite honestly: she wasn't sure what was worse.

"_How did I fuck up so badly_?"

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><p><strong>So whadyathink? I<strong>t was short but this was my quick random stab at it. Depending on the feedback, I will definitely continue and aim to write some longer chapters with more plot development<strong>. I swear :) Just trying to get my style down with this introduction<strong>. Also, t<strong>****he swearing was inspired by Miss. Idina herself - got to see her in concert two weeks ago (a life-changing experience), and she's just so candid and blunt and isn't afraid to drop the occasional f-bomb here and there. Love her 3**

**Please let me know if I should continue and constructive criticism is extremely appreciated! Next chapter will likely be from Puck's perspective.**


	2. How Did We Get Here?: Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thanks so much for all the reviews and compliments! Some of which I definitely don't feel I deserved - particularly with the gleaming mistakes I seemed to have made in that first chapter (which have since been corrected)! But thank-you nonetheless, it means a lot to this first time writer**. Weird to think that this is the first story I've written in 7 years (and my first fanfic ever)! ****

**Enjoy this next chapter It is still very much exposition (but now from Puck's POV). Unlike RIB, I have time to set up the story before snowplowing through the plot...haha, kidding..ish. Again, feedback is very much appreciated :) **

**And special shout-out to HazzaPfanatic94 for the thorough critique - appreciate it!**

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><p>High School. Every day seemed to drag on and on and boy, was Puck over it. His pool cleaning business was becoming so successful that more than half of Lima's private pools were now serviced by him. Sure, everyone still looked at him as the trouble-making, rebel pool boy. And when asked, Puck would never deny flirting with at least a third of his clients, and even bedding them – he still had a reputation to maintain. But whether or not people believed this, Noah Puckerman was a changed man.<p>

The old Puckerman, seeing the success of his business, would have dropped out of school by now to run it full-time, reap it of all the cash he could to buy a fancy sports car and a rockin' new guitar. But the new Noah knew better than that. He had his post-high school plan too, as much as he didn't want to admit it.

Sure, Puck didn't have the greatest marks – not like the freakin' Asians. But his friends would be shocked to know that he did almost have straight A's this year, and while the football recruiting didn't work out, he had brains behind his brawn that he wasn't afraid to flex too. Noah Puckerman had goals. He already had enough saved up for his entire college tuition and was aiming to get accepted in the Management Bachelor degree program at the Farmingdale State College, just outside New York City.

Why Farmingdale? Honestly, he wasn't quite sure. He knew he needed to get out of Lima, and when walking from booth to booth at the college fair, the flyer seemed to interest him the most. And it was a state school - he was pretty confident he could get in. That and of course, the appeal of NYC: being there last year for Nationals had him thirsting for more. All the action and busy city life was something he had never experienced before, and he wanted more. Plus realistically, it was still close enough for a road trip home to visit his mom and sister, the other two most important girls in his life.

All he wanted these days was to get out of McKinley – to be graduated. Sure, Glee Club was still fun and he was enjoying the football season, but he was so over high school drama and silliness. Rachel's diva attitude, Kurt's need to make everything glitter, even Brittany's space-cadet randomness, he had outgrown it. _And if I wasn't in high school, Shelby and I_ . . . his mind began to wander. "_No" _he told himself, why was his mind even going back there?

That day at the hospital made Puck feel like the man and father he was always meant to be. He even shocked himself at how calm and collected he was throughout the entire situation. He did all the right things: he was there for his little girl and he supported and comforted the woman he loved in her time in need.

Woman he** loved**. . .he knew he had to put it in the past now. When she walked up to him after freshening up, running her hand up the inside of his leg with that beautiful smile on her face, he was sure they were both where they wanted to be for the rest of his life. And yet, it took her two seconds to throw him a complete 180 and kick him out.

Maybe he shouldn't have said what he did, but he was angry – angry that she was keeping him, no keeping_ them_, from what could be an amazing family; an amazing relationship. He loved her, and while her feelings may not be as deep, he truly did believe that Shelby Corcoran was not the type of woman who slept with someone she didn't love. Sure, **in love** was a different story – even he himself wasn't sure that's how deep his feelings were (despite professing it to Shelby...What could he say? He was in the moment, it slipped and there was really no turning back.), but if adult Noah had any sense in him, he was certain there was something there.

What could he do now? Nothing. Date a girl his age, he supposed. But no, he wasn't interested.

Drown himself in his business? That'd work – tons of adult businessmen-types do that, get lost in their jobs to get through everything else. Plus he still needed to continue to save money for New York and for Beth's future. Beth. . . the innocent one in all of this. He hadn't talked to Shelby since she had kicked him out and he was hoping and praying that their unfortunate ending wouldn't affect his relationship with Beth. He loved his little girl too much for their relationship just to end.

He knew that meant he would eventually have to talk to Shelby, but something told him she was going to avoid him for as long as possible. _"Well, Shelby Corcoran, you are going to have to man up and deal with me because I ain't disappearing from my little girl's life, not again."_ He thought to himself before heading to his first period class.

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><p><strong>Like I said at the beginning, mostly exposition<strong>. Next chapter will have more movement, I promise! <strong>**

****Oh, and I made a random assumption about state schools being easier to get into from my (slightly ignorant) Canadian perspective, so please don't shoot me if that isn't the case! ****

****Also trying to decide if I want to wait until Tuesday's episode to continue to see where RIB decides to butcher things and then pick up from there; or if I want to just continue in my own alternative universe**. We'll see - I should be studying for exams anyways**. Thanks again for reading xoxo********


	3. How Did We Get Here?: Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay – exams**. **Didn't have a chance to watch this week's episode until today, and I wanted to make sure I had the episode in the back of my mind while continuing with my fic. ****Still nervous to share this with you guys...I've gotten quite a bit of positive feedback (thank-you), but I can't help but still feel like a total newb! Feedback is still super appreciated :) **

**To AugustineEmmeline : Thanks so much for the constructive criticism! Definitely had your advice in mind when I wrote this next chapter (no more bold!) – and yes, I admit it, my grammar ain't that hot**.**I kinda write the way my mind flows and this is the result of it! Eek! Hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

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><p><em>Last period, here we go<em>. Shelby took a deep breath as she prepared herself for whatever was to come her way. From the moment she realized she would be teaching Noah that day, Shelby couldn't help but feel sick to her stomach. _You're going to have to face him either way_. C_ome on Shelby, you're the adult_..._man up_. Shelby took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself as the bell rang for classes to change. She picked up her pen and began mindlessly marking the problem sets from the previous period, keeping her head down in an effort to look busy while the students shuffled in and out of the classroom.

To her relief, Noah walked in, sat in the back row and proceeded to zone out like every other student. As she addressed the class, Shelby couldn't help but try to sneak a peek at Noah. Yet as soon as his eyes met hers, she averted her gaze away in embarrassment. She subconsciously cursed at herself for letting him get to her.

Shaking it off, Shelby began her review of SOHCAHTOA which was more or less mindlessly written down by the students. She remembered this topic in high school – simple yet tedious; and by the twenty-something zombie faces staring at her, she knew the kids felt the exact same way. Triangles, opposite, hypotenus, divide this by that...Before she knew it, Shelby finished teaching the lesson and the students began quietly working on their practice problems.

Having finished marking the last class' problem set, Shelby began to make some final changes to the Troubletones' arrangement for Sectionals. She was excited to have her girls perform the mash-up she had arranged for them; it felt like the perfect anthem for the Troubletones and indirectly, for her. She was going to make it through this – this mess that she created. She knew she had to properly resolve things with Puck and while she didn't have it at the moment, she knew she would have to garner up the courage to do so. After Sectionals though – right now the Troubletones were her priority.

The Troubletones: Shelby's years of show choir experience told her that 1st place was very much up for grabs based on the talent of both glee clubs, but she was confident in her girls. They wanted it so badly and while some of them were a little all over the place (*cough* Sugar), she was confident in Mercedes and Santana as her lead vocalists. And at the end of the day, no matter what happened the girls had a lot to be proud of. She was already so proud of them.

Shelby couldn't lie: Beth made her soft. The old Shelby would be whipping the girls so hard; their feet would be bleeding through the heels they were dancing in. But having a child had changed her – having Beth had made her less obsessive about every little detail. She no longer had the time to overthink everything because she wanted to get home and spend time with her little girl. Shelby added the touch-ups when necessary like she was currently doing with the arrangement but she was learning to say 'that's good enough'; she was learning to give the kids more freedom to direct what they wanted to bring to the stage. It was good for them and good for her.

Nothing cheered her up more than being able to pick her daughter up from daycare after a long day of work. Thinking of Beth automatically put a smile on her face, as she continued to scan through her meticulous arrangement of "I Will Survive/Survivor."

Still lost in her thoughts, Shelby barely noticed the final bell ring until she caught eye of all the students packing up and rushing out of the classroom. As she began to pack her things, a voice caught her attention: "Miss Corcoran, do you mind if I speak to you for a moment?"

She wasn't sure if it was just shock, or if what she was feeling was disappointment when she looked up to realize that Noah Puckerman had just called her Miss Corcoran. She instantly felt a million years older and she was not liking it one bit. As the last of the students filed out of the classroom, Shelby stood up from her seat and looked at Noah on the other side of her desk: "You can still call me Shelby. Miss Corcoran sounds a little weird coming from you" she let out a weak laugh.

"I'd rather not." Noah said coldly, or so Shelby felt. She felt herself flush with embarrassment again and prayed that Noah wouldn't take notice.

"Ok then. Well, um, I really have to get going – the ladies at the daycare don't like it when I'm late to pick up Beth and I still have tons to do with the Troubletones before Sectionals so I..." Shelby began to ramble as she began packing up her papers into her briefcase.

"Stop –"Noah said firmly as Shelby froze with her briefcase half-open, "I'm not here to talk about us. If anything, I want to forget that this us, or whatever the hell it was, ever happened in the first place. All I care about right now is Beth. Just because you're too much of a coward to give us a chance doesn't mean I want to be any less involved in Beth's life. I still want to – no, _need to, _see her."

Shelby could see the passion in everything Noah was saying as she stared at him. _God, he's being more of an adult than I am_. She thought to herself ashamed at the realization.

Closing her briefcase, Shelby walked to the door to shut off the classroom lights while collecting her thoughts, "Yes, of course, Beth...How about this weekend after Sectionals? I've been taking Beth to a Parent and Tot gymnastics class Saturday mornings – she kind of just runs around and tries to roll down the mats, but she loves the parachute games and the other toddlers. If you'd like to meet us at the gym, you could be her guardian for the session?"

Noah followed her to the exit of the classroom and stood at a reasonable distance (and yet to Shelby, what felt like inches) away, "Yeah that sounds great. Um, text me the time and address and I'll see you there?" _Was she crazy or was he staring at her lips?_ Shelby could feel herself suppressing an urge to gravitate forward to him.

"Sure. I'll do that." _He's standing too close to me right now, I can't breath_. Shelby let out a sigh of relief as Noah nodded his head and walked out the door. At the last second, he turned around to her "Oh also - good luck at Regionals," before disappearing down the hallway.

Shelby leaned lightly against the doorframe of the classroom. _"If anything, I want to forget that this us, or whatever the hell it was, ever happened in the first place__._" What he said shouldn't hurt, but it did. But there was no time to dwell on it – _Sectionals, Sectionals, Sectionals_. This – _whatever the hell it was_, or is, would just have to wait.

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><p><strong>So what do you think? Would LOVE more feedback! <strong>**I may have borrowed some traits from Idina herself again - guess where****? And the gymnastics is partially because I coach gymnastics and am a huge advocate for toddlers doing gymnastics to develop their motor skills. **

**Couple of quick musings about the recent episode on my part: **

**1) I am relieved that Shelby's storyline was left up in the air, because that's way better than her being written off definitively**. . .**which means there's still hope for Shuck! Or so I hope! **

**2) As for the whole Shelby slept with Puck to feel young: Hated RIB's terrible attempt to stick to the [pointless] theme of the episode by throwing that line in! *sigh***

**3) Schuester is getting more and more pointless on Glee_. _**

**4) Finally, ****this was the first time I ever like Rachel: **_**"Beth loves her mom**__. __**Shelby is her REAL mom**__.__**"**_** THANK-YOU! **

**5) Oh – and Idina really could not have been more gorgeous in her (*not*) last scenes**.


	4. How Did We Get Here?: Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**** Apologize for the delays - JUST finished my final exams for the semester today! Yay :) Wanted to get something out today even though I'm exhausted between the 16 hr days I've been pulling for school/work/athletics this past month, so I hope it turned out okay! Wanted to write more but I'm too tired that I think if I tried to continue, it just wouldn't be any good. But bear with me, because I promise to update often while I'm on Winter Break!**

**As always, a shout-out to one of my lovely reviewers: thank-you so much for the compliments MissMamiee :) Appreciate it so much - and let me tell you, I WISH I was on that writing team for Glee! If only...**

**As always and as with every author, appreciate the reviews! **

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><p>They won.<p>

As crazy as everything had been – the girls leaving, the Rachel fiasco, poaching the new Irish kid and dragging Sam back . . . somehow through all of it, New Directions pulled through. _Hell yes, _thought Puck as he reached towards the trophy along with his fellow teammates, raising it in triumph. The audience soon emptied out of the auditorium while New Directions continued to be lost in their celebration. Under normal circumstances, Noah Puckerman was 'too cool' for such childish antics. But after all they had been through, Puck allowed himself to get caught up in the euphoria of the victory – that is, until he looked to his left to see Shelby and the Troubletones.

He could see the strain in Shelby's face. Sure, she was smiling and from what he could interpret, she was calmly ushering the shocked, defeated girls into the dressing room for what would likely be a post-game-loss pep talk (boy did Puck have his fair share of experience being on the receiving end of those, from being on McKinley's football team and all). But beneath the collected look she was feigning, he could see the same stressed-out Shelby he rushed to the rescue of that day at the hospital.

Shelby was probably freaking out about what to say, how to make the girls feel better, or wait – _shit!-_what Sugar's dad thought about their loss. What would happen now? Al Motta scouted Shelby because she was the best show choir director money could buy –the best show choir director who had now lost. _Would Shelby lose her job?_ Puck began panicking for her.

"Yo, Puck – we're going!" Finn called, snapping Puck out of his thoughts. Before he even had a chance to reply, Finn had his arm around Puck's shoulders, turning him around and dragging him along with the rest of Glee Club to their celebration at Breadsticks. He turned his head and caught one last glimpse of Shelby and the Troubletones before they disappeared into the opposite wing.

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><p>Shelby was exhausted. From spending what felt like hours comforting the devastated Troubletones, to getting home to lull a slightly, feverish Beth to sleep, Shelby was beyond relieved to finally curl up at the end of her couch, watching some mindless infomercial.<p>

She had anticipated the girls' reactions upon hearing their names called for second place. As predicted, Santana stormed off before Shelby even had a chance to say a word, cursing nonsensically in Spanish while dragging a still-clueless Brittany alongside. Sugar too, stormed off but not before obnoxiously blaming Shelby for their loss, claiming that if Shelby had the brains to give her the lead in the first place, they would not have lost. And to top it off, Sugar made sure to emphasize that Shelby would be hearing soon from her father, before the girl stomped off in a fury.

So Shelby gave her speech to those who would listen – Mercedes, and the rest of the Cherios who honestly, she had no idea why they stayed. Santana pretty much threatened the girls to join in the first place and with their leader off unleashing her rage, they really had no reason to be there. Maybe they were being polite? She supposed they were still nice girls.

Nonetheless, Shelby gave her speech about how proud she was of their performance – because she truly was – and at the end of the day, they did their best and they should be proud of it. It sucks to lose but it sucks even more to be a sore loser, or so she tried to convince them. The Cherios left once Shelby finished her speech but it was Mercedes who she had to convince to go home.

It was as if Mercedes wasn't ready to admit defeat – that by staying there, something could happen . . . something would change. Shelby had been there before. She had the same habit of sitting outside the studio of her failed audition, hoping and praying the casting director would see her as he left and realize he had made a mistake for not choosing her. She knew what the poor young girl was feeling and wished she could take those feelings of disappointment and failure away.

Luckily, Mercedes's parents came looking for her and took over, finally giving Shelby a chance to go home to check up on her baby girl. Shelby was relieved to realize that her young baby-sitter had exaggerated a bit over the phone and that upon checking Beth, Shelby was pretty certain Beth only had a minor cold, similar to ones her baby had had before. It took some effort, but by the 18th repetition of 'Itsy, Bitsy Spider', Beth was sound asleep.

So here was Shelby. There were so many things she needed to start worrying about and figuring out. For starters: finding a new job. Between Quinn ready to go to Figgins about her and Puck, to Al Motta now likely out to replace her, Shelby knew her job at McKinley was as good as gone.

And she still had the whole Puck situation to properly resolve. Sure, she could let his angry storming out of her bedroom be the end of everything and pretend it never happened, but that wouldn't be fair to him. As the older, more experienced one in the situation, she felt it was her responsibility to make sure this was resolved properly; she wanted to make sure his feelings were okay, so they could put all of this in the past to maintain a civil, platonic relationship for Beth's sake.

_But you don't teach at McKinley anymore_.

Or soon she wouldn't be. In her current emotionally and physically exhausted state, the idea of allowing Noah Puckerman to come comfort her didn't seem all that wrong. God, how much she wanted someone to just hold her right now, no words needed. Just some warmth and a heartbeat to lull her to sleep, a pair of strong arms. And right now, she could only think of one person who could give her what she needed. She knew she could call him again and she was pretty sure that despite being angry at her, he would be there . . .

_But no Shelby_. No, she was not going to let her vulnerable state lead her to more stupid decisions. It wasn't fair of her to lead him on when there was no future for either of them. Not being a teacher at McKinley didn't change the fact that they were in such different places in their lives. Speaking to Quinn made her realize that she was right in telling him to go that day. Puck should be off discovering the world, not tied down to this old woman. Shelby let out a sigh – how she wished to be 18 again, how she would do things over differently . . . and yet, you really only get one shot at being young. This was her life now and he had his.

Shelby suddenly felt a vibration in her pocket – who was texting her at this hour? She slid her finger across her iPhone:

Noah Puckerman: _Know you won't see this till the morning but hope the pep-talk with the Troubletones went okay. Is gymnastics still on tomorrow? Would love to see Beth. Hope you're okay too. . ._

Shelby starred at the message and instantly felt warmth wash over her. _Hope you're okay too_. . . It was as if he was there giving her the hug she wanted, no – needed.

Shelby couldn't stop herself – she pressed her thumb down on the touchscreen and dialed his number.

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><p><strong>So what did you think? This chapter sort of fills in the Shelby holes from Sectionals, and my next chapters will continue to do that right up to the X-mas episode. And then we'll see from there! Stay tuned to find out how this phone conversation goes :) <strong>

**(Also if anyone has advice on how to write a phone conversation or a good example, would appreciate that! Never written one before - might stick to the prose I've been writing in so far, but I feel it won't convey the flow of a phone conversation as well as I'd like to. Would appreciate any advice there!)**

**Happy Holidays everyone!**


	5. How Did We Get Here?: Chapter 5

**PLEASE READ A/N BEFORE THE CHAPTER! :) **

**Author's Note:**** I apologize again for such a late update! But it took me forever to do this...yes, I took a stab at scriptwriting. This is the first time I've ever written ANYTHING in this format so I hope it's alright. I took the time to read through an actually Glee script written by RIB (read through the pilot) and tried to follow their formatting as close as possible For example, RIB uses CAPS to emphasize verbs/actions that they would want the director to focus on when filming/blocking out the scene). There was some formatting I couldn't follow because of the limitations to this website, but I added emphasis where possible to make it as easy to read as I could. **

**If it's terrible, I may scrap this whole chapter and rewrite it in regular prose. But here it goes! Please, please, please review.**

**Shoutout to Shuck4eva, MissMamiee and Luthiem Vardamir for inspiring me to take a stab at writing a script :) **

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><p><strong>EXTERIOR - LIMA BEACH – NIGHT<strong>

_NOAH PUCKERMAN takes his cell phone out of his pocket as the camera PANS away from New Directions laughing around a make-shift campfire. Finn and Blaine are playing a game of Frisbee while the rest of New Directions huddle around the fire, singing along to Sam STRUMMING on his GUITAR. FOCUS on Noah looking down at the image of Shelby & Beth on his phone. He turns to WAVE a quick goodbye to the group. Finn gives him a CONFUSED look as to why he was leaving. Noah TURNS AROUND as he presses 'answer' on his phone and heads up the main road._

**PUCK**

Hey – did I wake you up? I am so, _so_ sorry, I totally meant for you to get the text in the morning-

**INTERIOR – SHELBY'S APARTMENT**

_CUT to a close-up of SHELBY CORCORAN curled on the corner of her couch. She TUCKS her cellphone in the nook of her neck before grabbing the remote to turn down the volume. Shelby brushes her hair back as she settles back down on the couch._

**SHELBY**

No, no, no. I was awake, can't sleep – I mean, no, shit, I'm sorry - I shouldn't be calling you at 3 in the morning – or at all! Just, never mind. I'm going to hang-up now. Goodnight, Noa-

**PUCK**

Wait no – Shelby, stop!

_Puck stops outside his parked truck, listening to make sure Shelby stays on the line. He LEANS on the door and STARES DOWN at his feet._

**PUCK (CONT'D)**

[Hushed voice]

It's okay. I was just walking home anyways, it's no big deal – we kinda went all out tonight with the celebra- [pause] I'm sorry. Didn't mean to bum you out.

**SHELBY**

No, no, it's alright. I'm happy for you and all of New Directions. Congratulations – you guys deserved it.

**PUCK**

Thanks.

_They both go SILENT. Awkward pause. Puck KICKS the rock in front of him waiting for Shelby to say something. She doesn't._

**PUCK**

So why are you still up? Is everything okay?

**SHELBY**

Yes, of course, I'm fine. Beth was a bit fussy tonight, she has a bit of a temperature but she'll be alright.

**PUCK**

That's good. And you?

_Shelby is caught in surprise by Puck's question. She GRABS the glass of water on the lamp table to take a sip before placing the glass back down._

**SHELBY**

Huh?

**PUCK**

You. How are you feeling?

**SHELBY**

Oh! Me? I'm fine.

I'm tired and it's been a long day and I'm sure you realize the girls didn't take it all that well but – Yes, I'm just – I'm fine. I'm fine.

**PUCK**

I dunno, normally when someone says they're fine that many times, something is not fine.

_Puck PAUSES. He begins to CIRCLE around his truck, KICKING his feet in front of him._

**PUCK (CONT'D)**

I ain't the smartest kid at McKinley, but I know the Troubletones losing tonight might cause you to lose your job.

**SHELBY**

[Whisper]

Amongst other things. . .

**PUCK**

Huh? I'm sorry – what did you say?

**SHELBY**

Nothing. Nothing important.

**PUCK**

You sure?

_PUCK STOPS circling his truck and HOPS UP on the front hood of his car to sit down. He looks up at the full moon._

**PUCK (CONT'D)**

Look – I know we aren't exactly friends or anything, and I'm still pissed at you. You can't just reject the Puckzilla and expect everything to be fine with us. But you being okay means Beth being okay. So please, could you just let me know what's up so I can help?

_Shelby RUNS her hand through her hair and lets out a DEEP SIGH._

**SHELBY**

[slightly bitter voice]

I think you've helped enough already. . .

**PUCK**

Wait - what's that supposed to mean?

_Shelby leans forward to sit up on the couch. She RUBS her temples with one hand._

**SHELBY**

You told Quinn – about us.

_Puck curses under his breath as he HOPS OFF his truck. He runs his hand through his Mohawk, then TURNS AROUND and SLAMS his fist into the hood of his truck. CUT TO Shelby jumping slightly in her rested position at the loud noise._

**PUCK**

Fuck, I am so sorry. I just – she was there and I was just so pissed at you for rejecting me. Fuck, she wants to tell, doesn't she? Fucking psycho Quinn, what was I thinking? Fuck!

You know what - don't worry, I'll talk to her. I will fix thi-

**SHELBY**

Noah, Noah, Noah – please, stop. There's nothing for you to fix. Trust me – you're only going to make it worse. Just, let me take responsibility for what happened, okay? I'm sorry that came out so bitter, because I'm the one who fucked up. You don't have to fix anything.

_Shelby sighs and leans back. She grabs the throw on the back of the couch and wraps it around her for warmth._

**SHELBY (CONT'D)**

If I hadn't made the mistake in the first place, there would have been nothing to tell Quinn. So it's okay. I'm too tired to figure out a solution right now, but I'll figure it out. I'm tough – Beth's tough. The amount Al Motta paid me upfront is good enough to get me through the next few months anyways if I lose this job so trust me, it's going to be okay. Just promise me, you won't try to do anything, Noah – please?

**PUCK**

Fine.

_They both go SILENT again before Shelby hears ANOTHER BANG from Puck's end and is STARTLED by the loud noise._

**PUCK (CONT'D)**

Dammit. Why was I dumb enough to think I could be a good father?

**SHELBY**

What? Why would you say that?

**PUCK**

The mother of my child can no longer provide for our baby, and it's all my fucking fault. Once a screw-up, always a screw-up, right? Beth was better off before she met me!

**SHELBY**

Noah. . .don't say that. It's not your fault – it's mine. I shouldn't have called you, us sleeping together was MY fault, not yours. You're so young. . .

**PUCK**

Don't say that, I hate when you say that.

**SHELBY**

But it's true. Look – I know you're an adult, and you are already becoming such a wonderful, loving, reliable father to Beth. The world may see this bad-ass, but with Beth, I see this amazing, responsible guy. But nothing will change the fact that I'm older, and while wiser is questionable, I have seen and experienced so much more than you have. And I can tell you with all certainty that I should have stopped this before it got out of hand. And yes, it's – fucked – right now, but it will work out. One way or another, things will be okay. Stop being so hard on yourself, Noah. You're a good guy.

_Shelby TURNS OFF the TV before getting up off the couch to SHUT OFF the lamp. She walks over to her bedroom and LEANS against the doorframe._

**SHELBY (CONT'D)**

Look – we're both tired right now and there's no point stressing right now, because I'm pretty sure we both are in no capacity to think right now. Beth will likely be alright in the morning but just to be safe, I don't want her around other kids playing in a germ-filled gymnasium. If you want, you could meet us tomorrow morning for some coffee and breakfast? Say, at the Lima Bean?

**PUCK**

Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks, Shelby.

**SHELBY**

Not a problem, Noah. I'll text you when I get up tomorrow, alright? Goodnight Noah.

**PUCK**

Goodnight Shelby.

_Puck stays on the line until Shelby HANGS UP. He STARES at his phone before shoving it in his pocket, and HOPS into his truck to drive away._

**END SCENE**

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><p><strong>Questions? Comments? Complaints? Please let me know! <strong>

**Next update will be back to the regular format and will come soon, I promise! (however, if this format is cool and people dig it, I may start a new fic written entirely in script...or this could have failed miserably and I will remove this and pretend it never existed. hahaha... Please let me know!)**


	6. How Did We Get Here?: Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**** Thanks for all the wonderful reviews! Really appreciate it - I am glad that I didn't fail miserably at scriptwriting ;) **

**I know for those who haven't really read scripts it was a bit confusing, but I promise, we are back to normal with this chapter! Even though it was my first time writing that way, I have read my fair share of plays and scripts (one of my good friends is an aspiring playwright). If you love the format, I highly recommend reading 'the Glass Managerie' and Patrick Marber's 'Closer'**. Reading scripts allows for so much imagination but at the same time, you have to pay attention the the subtleties in everything to truly understand the scene**. Love it**.********

********A little bit of fluff and a little more progress**. As always, I appreciate the reviews :) There will probably be at least one more update before Glee comes back in the Winter and I'm still crossing my fingers for Idina!**********

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><p>"Omigosh, baby, what are you doing?" Shelby puts down the coffee mug at her lips and laughs.<p>

Beth had just stuck her entire hand into a cup of yogurt and was shaking her hand in delight as the sticky liquid flung onto Shelby and Puck.

"She's a troublemaker like me, aren't you, Beth?" Puck turned to grab Beth's hand and proceeded to lick the yoghurt off her tiny hand. The toddler squealed at the ticklish feeling of Puck eating the yogurt off her fingers, as she tried unsuccessfully to escape.

"Alright there, that's enough fun for the both of you" Shelby pretended to be stern but couldn't stop the smile on her face as she shook her her head at the two of them. She grabs a napkin from the table to clean the rest of the yogurt off Beth's hand.

Puck helped Shelby hold the giddy little girl still. "Sorry" he apologized.

Moments later, the trio had finished their meal. Shelby knew it was time for them to go but she just couldn't bring herself to call for the bill. Puck was having such a great time with Beth. She stared at the two of them who at the moment were fully immersed in their game of peek-a-boo.

Beth then decided to curiously grab onto Puck's Mohawk, while Puck playfully pretending to fend off Beth's attacks. "Careful – no pulling!" Puck said gently as he turned to Shelby, noticing her stare.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Puck's face turned from playful to concerned.

"No, no, nothing. You guys are so silly with each other." Shelby smiled with a forced laugh. Puck didn't need to know how much she didn't want this morning to end.

"Yeah, we really do bring out the best in each other, don't we, monkey face?" Puck turned back to face Beth and began to rub his nose against Beth's. She giggled and began swatting Puck's nose away with her palm.

"Hey! That hurts!" Puck pretended to be mad. Beth paused for a second with her mouth frozen in an O-shape and her hands still, wondering what the change in his voice and body language meant. Puck tried his best to keep his stern face but before he knew it, he and Shelby were in fits of laughter from Beth's reaction, and so Beth was laughing too.

Puck's phone suddenly buzzed. He picked it up to read the text message. It was from his mom.

"Hey, sorry, I actually have to get going – promised my mom that I'd drive her to get groceries today." Puck replied while shoving his phone back into his pocket.

"Yes, of course. Don't worry, if you have to go now, go." Shelby tried her best to hide her disappointment. "I can get the bill."

"Thanks Shelby. See you later." Puck nodded as Shelby smiled back at him. "Later cutie" he said to Beth before giving her a peck on her forehead, and left.

Puck was just out the door when he realized he forgot to tell Shelby something and walked back over to the table where Shelby was beginning to bundle Beth up in several layers of clothing.

"Oh, hey – did you forget something?" Shelby asked while putting her Beth's hat.

"Um, yea, sort of. I almost forgot – my mom cleans the house of this rich couple whose daughter has been begging for voice lessons for months. Anyways, if you want, my mom says she could recommend you. I figured this could be something in case things blow up at McKinley... I know it's not much but who knows? They are Ohio's version of Kardashian rich. Plus, the little girl really like my mom, so I'm pretty sure if she recommends you, they'd hire you in a heartbeat." Puck rambled quickly.

Shelby was touched by Puck's offer. "Noah, that's very sweet of you. I will definitely keep that in mind. Thank-you" She said genuinely as she held Beth close to her. "We are lucky to have you." The trio walked to the exit. Puck held the door open for Shelby and Beth as they left the Lima Bean.

"No, it's the least I can do for screwing everything up –"Puck began as they stood outside Shelby's car.

"Noah, that's not tru-"Shelby started to argue.

"It is," Noah interrupted "You gave me that whole speech about being responsible, and how you should have stopped things from getting out of hand, but if you're going to make that argument, then you agree that I have to take responsibility too. We are both responsible for figuring this out together, for Beth's sake."

_Wow._ Shelby couldn't believe what a level head existed under that shapeless Mohawk, under all that the childish badass-ery.

"You're right, Noah. Thank-you."

Noah shrugged and gave her a small smile. "I really have to go now though. Text me again about the next time I can see Beth?"

"Sure Noah." Shelby smiled back at him as she held Beth close and watched Puck turn and walk over to his truck.

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><p><em>One week.<em> It had been an entire week since he had seen or heard from Shelby. At first, Puck didn't want to bother her. He was the one who told her to text him with the next time to see Beth, and the last thing he wanted was to intrude on her life.

But Shelby's complete disappearance had him worried. He knew the Troubletones had folded as a choir. Santana, Brittany and Mercedes were back with New Directions along with Sugar. Puck tried casually asking the girls what had happened to Shelby but none of them knew. They assumed that since the Troubletones folded Shelby had left Lima, but Puck couldn't believe that. _She wouldn't leave without telling me. She just wouldn't. _

Puck would try to look for Shelby every day in the hallways of McKinley. Every time he heard that a teacher was sick, he would poke his head into that classroom hoping to find Shelby_. _Every time, he was left disappointed.

New Direction's Christmas spirit served well as a temporary distraction. While preparing for their Christmas special, Puck was able to distract himself long enough to not worry about Beth and Shelby. But upon volunteering at the shelter and seeing all the families there, Puck decided he had waited long enough. He stood in a corner behind the tree and wrote a text to Shelby.

_Hey Shelby. Haven't seen you around in a while – would love to see Beth. Hope everything is okay. _Short and to the point.

The rest of New Directions was mingling with the families at the shelter, laughing and playing with the children there, but all Puck could think of was his family_. His_? Could he even call them that? Puck sighed_. _For the rest of the evening, all he could do was check his phone_._

It wasn't until he was back at home, in bed and ready to shut his eyes that he received a reply from Shelby:

_Hey Noah, so sorry for being MIA. I'm in California with my mum and dad, took Beth there for the holidays. I will explain everything when I get back to Lima, but we'll be back – I promise. Have a wonderful holiday Noah xo_

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><p>Shelby looked down at her phone<em>. The xo was inappropriate, wasn't it<em>? She had a few glasses of wine in her and knew that she was a tad passed tipsy. She shoved her phone back into her pocket as her mum came out of their family beach house to join Shelby as she leaned back in her lounge chair and stared out at the waves_._ Shelby's mom walked over to her and laid a soft kiss on her forehead before settling next to her daughter_. _The two sat together as they sipped away at a bottle of red wine_._

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><p><strong>Alright, so the breaks look sort of funny because of this website, but I swear, if this was bond into a novel, it would look much more appealing (or so I'd like to think!) Thanks for reading - I've been having a bit of a writer's block on where to take this next so I hope it turned out alright<strong>. I<strong> want to have this play out the way it would actually play out given the characteristics of Puck and Shelby**. I watched "Inside the Actor's Studio" featuring Bradley Cooper where he described the acting process behind the original "Hangover" movie**. Everything was funny and worked** because the writers didn't try to think up jokes to 'place' into the script**. The writers developed these characters, these situations, and let what would naturally happen if these people were actually put together in such situations**. That's kind of how I hope to write (or else, I would skip the angst and just have them hook up now! Hahaha)**.**********

**Anyways, that's enough rambling from me! Please review :) **


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